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Sir  Francis  Drake 

Description  of   his   landing  at 
Drake's   Bay,   Marin  County, 
California 


X 


June   17,   1579 


Being  an  exact  copy  of  parts  of  the 
original  report  of  this  VOYAGE,  in 
his  caravel  the  "GOLDEN  HIND," 
including  a  description  of  the  first 
religious  service  in  English  ever 
held  in  AMERICA,  and  also 
the  date  of  his  departure  for 
ENGLAND,  JULY  25th,  1579. 


MARIN  COUNTY 


THE  NARRATIVE 

"In  38  Deg.  30  min.  we  fell  with 
a  conuenient  and  fit  harborough 
and  June  17  came  to  anchor 
therein.  * 

The  next  day,  after  our  coming 
to  anchor  in  the  aforesaid  harbour, 
the  people  of  the  countrey  shewed 
themselues,  sending  off  a  man 
with  great  expedition  to  vs  in 
a  canow.  * 

The  3  day  following,  uiz.,  the 
21,  our  ship  hauing  receiued  a 
leake  at  sea,  was  brought  to 
anchor  neerer  the  shoare,  that, 
her  goods  being  landed,  she  might 
be  repaired;  but  for  that  we  were 
to  preuent  any  danger  that  might 
chance  against  our  safety,  our 
generall  first  of  all  landed  his 
men,  with  all  necessary  prouision. 


CALIFORNIA  1579 


to  build  tents  and  make  a  fort  for 
the  defense  of  our  selues  and 
goods;  and  that  wee  might  vnder 
the  shelter  of  it  with  more  safety 
(what  euer  should  befall)  end  our 
businesse;  which  when  the  people 
of  the  countrey  perceiued  vs  do 
ing,  they  came  down  to  vs,  and 
yet  with  no  hostile  meaning  or 
intent  to  hurt  vs.  *  *  * 

Their  men  for  the  most  part  goe 
naked;  the  women  take  a  kinde  of 
bulrushes,  and  kembing  it  after 
the  manner  of  hemp,  make  them- 
selues  thereof  a  loose  garment, 
which  being  knitte  about  their 
middles,  hanges  downe  a  b  out 
their  hippes,  and  so  affordes 
to  them  a  couering.  They  are 
very  obedient  to  their  husbands. 


MARIN  COUNTY 


and  exceeding  ready  in  all 
seruices.  * 

Against  the  end  of  three  daies 
more  (the  newes  hauing  the  while 
spread  itself e  farther,  and  as  it 
seemed  a  great  way  vp  into  the 
countrie),  were  assembled  the 
greatest  number  of  people  which 
wee  could  reasonably  imagine  to 
dwell  within  any  conuenient  dis 
tance  round  about.  Amongst  the 
rest  the  king  himselfe,  a  man  of 
goodly  stature  and  comely  person 
age,  attended  with  his  guard  of 
about  100  tall  and  warlike  men, 
this  day,  uiz.,  June  26,  came 
downe  to  see  vs.  *  *  * 

In  the  meane  time  the  women 
remaining  on  the  hill,  tormented 
themselues  lamentably,  tearing 


CALIFORNIA  1S79 


their  flesh  from  their  cheekes, 
whereby  we  perceiued  that  they 
were  about  a  sacrifice.  In  the 
meane  time  our  generall,  with  his 
companie,  WENT  TO  PRAYER, 
AND  TO  READING  OF  THE 
SCRIPTURES,  AT  WHICH  EX 
ERCISE  THEY  WERE  ATTEN- 
TIUE,  and  seemed  greatly  to  be 
affected  with  it.  *  *  * 

This  one  thing  was  obserued  to 
bee  generall  amongst  them  all, 
that  euery  one  had  his  face 
painted,  some  with  white,  some 
blacke,  and  some  with  other  col 
ours,  euery  man  also  bringing  in 
his  hand  one  thing  or  other  for  a 
gift  or  present.  *  *  * 

Few  were  the  dayes,  wherein 
they  were  absent  from  vs,  during 


MAR1N  COUNTY       CALIF.  1579 

and  kingdome,  both  by  the  king 
and  people,  into  her  majesties 
hands;  together  with  her  high- 
nesse  picture  and  armes,  i  n  a 
piece  of  sixpense  currant  English 
monie,  showing  itself e  by  a  hole 
made  of  purpose  through  the 
plate;  vnderneath  was  likewise 
engrauen  the  name  of  our  gener- 
all,  etc.  *  *  * 

And  now,  as  the  time  of  our  de 
parture  was  perceiued  by  them  to 
draw  nigh,  so  did  the  sorrowes 
and  miseries  of  this  people  seeme 
to  themselues  to  increase  vpon 
them. 

The  23  of  July  they  tooke  a 
sorrowfull  farewell  of  vs,  but  be 
ing  loath  to  leaue  vs,  they  pres 
ently  ranne  to  the  top  of  the  hils 


MARIN  COUNTY      CALIF.  1570 

to  keepe  vs  in  their  sight  a*  long 
as  they  could,  making  fires  before 
and  behind,  and  on  each  side  of 
them,  burning  therein  (as  is  to  be 
supposed)  sacrifices  at  our  depart 
ure.  *  *  * 

Not  farre  without  this  har bor 
ough  did  lye  certaine  ilands  (we 
called  them  the  ilands  of  Saint 
James),  hauing  on  them  plentifull 
and  great  store  of  seales  and 
birds,  with  one  of  which  wee  fell 
July  24,  whereon  we  found  such 
prouision  as  might  competently 
serue  our  turne  for  a  while.  We 
departed  againe  the  day  next  fol 
lowing,  uiz.,  July  25,  1579.  *  * 


MARIN  COUNTY 


THEN  AND  NOW 

"The  23  of  July  they  toake  a 
sorrowful  farewell  of  us,  making 
fires  before  and  behind  and  on 
each  side  of  them  (as  is  supposed) 
sacrifices  at  our  departure." 

So  wrote  the  ancient  chronicler 
of  the  Drake  expedition  and  sank 
to  slumber  while  the  Golden  Hind 
plowed  its  way  homeward.  In  a 
second  (for  in  the  great  calendar) 
three  centuries  are  but  as  seconds) 
those  people  who  tormented 
themselves  lamentably  have  van 
ished  and  the  goodly  country 
which  Drake  foresaw  has  come 
into  its  own.  Home  estates,  farms 
and  bungalows  crowd  its  hills  and 
valleys,  and  the  spot  has  become 
a  principality,  tributary  to  a  me 
tropolis  whose  spires  have  risen 


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like  magic  on  what  was  the  deso 
late  sand  spit  to  the  south.  The 
ancient  chronicler  was  a  worthy 
prophet.  "A  goodly  country." 
No  more  beautiful  spot  than  Marin 
County  can  be  found  in  all  the 
world  lying  so  close  to  a  metrop 
olis.  Neither  London,  Paris,  Ber 
lin,  New  York  nor  any  other  com 
mercial  center  of  which  we  know, 
has  within  one  hour  of  the  busy 
city  streets  such  a  variety  of  hills, 
mountains,  valleys,  cascades, 
streams  and  wooded  trails  as 
Marin  County  offers  to  San  Fran 
cisco.  In  fact,  here  at  one's  very 
door  is  a  mountain  fastness  pos 
sessing  all  of  the  beauties  that  an 
indulgent  nature  and  climate  has 
to  offer. 


MARIN  COUNTY 


Take  boat  from  San  Francisco 
and  in  half  an  hour  one  lands  upon 
the  selfsame  peninsula  where 
landed  Drake.  Explore  inland  as 
did  he;  but  not  as  painfully  as  did 
he.  Electric  roads  add  to  the 
pleasure  and  accessibility  of  this 
garden  spot. 

The  boat  itself  lands  one  at 
Sausalito,  a  city  of  beautiful 
homes  upon  terraced  hills  and 
looking  out  across  the  great  bay. 
Before  it,  in  the  waters  of  Tiburon, 
rests  Belvedere,  a  dream  island  of 
homes. 

Across  the  hills  a  vigorous  walk 
lands  one  on  Point  Bonita  where 
a  picturesque  lighthouse  looks 
across  the  sea  to  China  and  Japan 
and  sees  close  at  hand  that  island 


CALIFORNIA  1915 


which  the  brave  voyagers  of 
Drake  called  the  "Hand  of  Saint 
James,"  "having  on  them  plentiful 
and  great  store  of  seals  and  birds." 
Again  an  electric  train  front 
Sausalito  and  one  is  at  the  foot  of 
Mt.  Tamalpais  amidst  the  pines 
and  redwoods.  Trails  wind 
through  the  woods  up  and  up  until 
one  gains  the  crest  of  the  divide. 
Far  away  one  sees  the  silver  of 
the  Pacific;  below,  at  one's  very 
feet,  the  green  of  the  Muir  Woods 
where  stand  the  forest  monarchs 
which  stood  when  Drake  landed, 
and  even  in  that  day  they  were 
hoary  veterans:  along  the  crest 
lies  West  Point;  and  further  still, 
at  the  summit  of  Mt.  Tamalpais, 
the  Tavern  from  which  the  whole 


MARIN  COUNTY      CALIF.  1915 

country  lies  spread  out  like  a  map. 
One  sees  the  gleam  of  San  Fran 
cisco  Bay,  the  dark  green  of  the 
forests,  the  lighter  green  of  the 
valleys  and  farms,  the  glitter  of 
the  nestling  towns,  the  slow  crawl 
ing  trains,  a  picturesque  panorama 
covering  nine  counties;  and  far 
away,  above  the  clouds  Mt. 
Diablo  peering  across  the  open  to 
its  neighbor;  the  Sierra  Nevadas 
further  to  the  east  stately  with  its 
crown  of  perpetual  snow;  and  Mt. 
Hamilton  on  whose  summit  the 
Lick  Observatory,  that  outpost  of 
Science  watching  with  unerring 
eye  the  procession  of  the  Heaven 
ly  Hosts. 

Again  the  electric  line  to 
San  Rafael,  the  ideal  city  of 
homes  and  rich  of  woods. 


MARIN  COUNTY 


passing  on  the  way  station  after 
station  where  happy  throngs  wait 
the  returning  city  traveler  and 
happy  homes  peer  out  from  the 
green  of  the  woods.  Here  no 
snow  falls  nor  winter  chills;  nature 
is  kindly  and  like  a  kindly  mother 
gathers  to  herself  the  laughing 
children  giving  them  their  birth 
right  of  sunshine  and  fresh  air. 
Who  would  shut  within  bricks  and 
mortar  these  tender  shoots  when 
such  a  climate  and  country  lies  so 
close  at  hand? 

Or,  if  one  can  spare  the  time, 
press  even  further.  The  railroad 
runs  through  farms  and  valleys, 
past  bungalows  and  wooded 
slopes  beside  the  ever  changing 
streams  till  it  comes  to  rest  at  last 


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into  the  heart  of  the  woods.  Take 
a  motor  stage.  S  wi  n  g  through 
the  hills  where  nature  rests  silent 
and  undisturbed  till  at  last  you 
break  forth  upon  a  wide  sweep  of 
majestic  ocean.  It  is  the  Pacific. 
Hour  after  hour  you  may  skirt  the 
cliffs;  the  restless  ocean  tosses  far 
below  you,  its  white  fangs  gleam 
ing  upon  the  dripping  rocks  while 
the  stately  forests  stand  upon  the 
hills  gazing  calmly  down  upon  this 
giant  who  would  eat  his  way  into 
their  sanctuary.  Along  the  rock- 
bound  shore  busy  fisheries  thrive, 
their  industry  supplying  a  ready 
market  close  at  hand.  "A  goodly 
country  and  fruitful!  soyle,  stored 
with  many  blessings  fit  for  the  use 
of  man." 


MARIN  COUNTY 


We  have  been  hearing  the  roar 
of  cannon  and  the  call  to  arms  as 
Christian  man  springs  like  a  wier 
wolf  at  the  throat  of  Christian 
man;  from  the  city  comes  the  cry 
of  travail  as  the  wheels  of  toil  and 
care  grind  on  and  ever  on.  Are 
you  weary  of  all  this?  Does  it 
rest  as  a  burden  on  your  soul? 
Take  boat  with  Drake.  Plunge 
into  this  goodly  country.  The 
sweet  air  will  bring  you  solace. 
The  hills  and  forests  will  look 
upon  you  with  so  deep  a  calm  that 
you  will  wonder  at  your  restless 
ness.  The  seemingly  great  things 
of  the  city  will  shrink  to  littleness 
while  mother  nature  rocks  you  on 
her  bosom.  The  Land  of  Drake 
will  welcome  you.  And  when 


CALIFORNIA  1915 


you  leave,  it  will  be  you  that  will 
take  sorrowful  farewell,  not  those 
blessed  inhabitants  who  stand 
watching  on  the  hills. 


